As we say hello to the last month of the year, it’s time to look back and realize what a busy news year it’s been. From weird weather to big anniversaries, political drama to economic angst, 2011 gave us plenty to report about.

Because of the anticipated effects of Hurricane Irene, we will begin delivery of the Saturday edition of the StarNews at about 9 p.m. tonight. If the bridges to local beaches are closed, those newspapers will be delivered with the Sunday edition. … Read More »

The final movie in the epic “Harry Potter” series hits screens July 15. To celebrate (and mourn), we want to party with the most magic-loving Muggles in town by hosting a private, prize-filled screening of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ on opening day! And you have a chance to win tickets for yourself and three friends.
We’ll give away a four-pack of private screening tickets to 10 StarNews readers who “Show Off Their Wizarding Ways” by submitting a photo of themselves displaying their love of all things Harry.

One of our reporters at our sister paper, The Tuscaloosa News, was a victim of the tornado that went through Alabama a few weeks ago. The StarNews newsroom is having a giant yard sale on the StarNews Media’s front lawn to help raise money for this collegue and friend.… Read More »

Woohoo! We just crossed 4,000 Facebook fans! Thanks so much to all of you who follow us there. To celebrate, we’re giving away four movie passes to Mayfaire’s Regal Cinemas. To be eligible, you just need to do two things: Like us on Facebook; and post a comment below telling us about how long you have been following us on Facebook. (Specifics aren’t important, and whether you just start following us today or have been following us for years, your odds of winning are the same.) Click through for details.… Read More »

My calendar tells me that the 2011 N.C. Azalea Festival was only five days long, but my aching muscles, cluttered desk, full stomach and overall exhaustion sure makes it seem like it lasted for weeks.

Yes, a lot was crammmed into the past few days, and it was nearly impossible for anyone to experience *everything.* (Trust me, we tried.)
So if you found yourself having to choose between garden tours and funnel cakes, cake challenges and tennis matches, boxing bouts and parades, take a look at our list below and catch up on what you missed.… Read More »

About This Blog

The purpose of this blog is to give you a behind-the-scenes look inside our newsroom. Staffers will talk about how we make decisions about stories, give you information about the reporters and editors who bring you the news and we’ll even share the fun stuff we do to keep us motivated. Metro Editor Sherry Jones will coordinate the blog, but you should expect updates from other editors and reporters.